Mr. Marlin's son, J-Roll's cousin top legacy picks

Weathers, Meadows and Clemens also among notables selected over three days

By
David Adler, Matt Kelly, Manny Randhawa and Chad ThornburgMLB.com

The 2018 Draft might be over, but the pool of prospects selected this year includes plenty with MLB connections.

Among the players who have came off the board in the last three days, many are related to Major Leaguers past and present -- from David Weathers' son Ryan to Jimmy Rollins' cousin Osiris Johnson to Roger Clemens' son Kody.

The 2018 Draft might be over, but the pool of prospects selected this year includes plenty with MLB connections.

Among the players who have came off the board in the last three days, many are related to Major Leaguers past and present -- from David Weathers' son Ryan to Jimmy Rollins' cousin Osiris Johnson to Roger Clemens' son Kody.

Here's a look at the players with big league legacies, in order of when they were selected.

DAY 1 (MONDAY)

Ryan Weathers, Padres -- LHP, Lorreto (Tenn.) HS (No. 7 overall)

Ryan is the son of David Weathers, who pitched 19 Major League seasons for nine different franchises from 1991-2009. David, a right-hander drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round in 1988, collected 73 wins and 75 saves in his big league career. Ryan, a southpaw, was drafted even higher. The 18-year-old Vanderbilt commit was rated one of the two best left-handers in this year's Draft class. More >

Brice Turang, Brewers -- SS, Santiago (Calif.) HS (No. 21 overall)Turang's father, Brian, played two big league seasons as an outfielder for the Mariners in 1993 and '94, hitting one home run in his career. But he was actually originally drafted by the Brewers in the 20th round in 1987 before returning to play college ball. Three decades later, the same team drafted his son. Brice is a high-upside pick for Milwaukee, as he's a legitimate shortstop with bat-to-ball skills and plus speed. More >

Noah Naylor, Indians -- C, St. Joan of Arc Catholic (Ont.) SS (29th overall)Naylor is the younger brother of Padres first-base prospect Josh Naylor, who was drafted 12th overall by the Marlins in 2015. The younger Naylor is a catcher with a slugging profile similar to his older brother, but he also hits for average -- Noah demonstrated his hitting prowess by batting .421 in 26 at-bats over seven games for the Ontario Blue Jays, an elite 18-and-up team based in Canada. More >

Parker Meadows, Tigers -- OF, Grayson (Ga.) HS (44th overall)Meadows is the younger brother of Pirates No. 2 prospect Austin Meadows, and the Tigers took the former with their second pick behind No. 1 overall selection Casey Mize. Meadows is described as a raw hitter, and with a 6-foot-5, 185-pound frame, he could fill out into a power hitter with the speed to play center field. More >

Griffin Conine, Blue Jays -- RF, Duke (52nd overall)Conine's father, Jeff, a left fielder and first baseman, played 17 Major League seasons, most notably for the Marlins from their first season in 1993 to '97, and again from 2003-05. Jeff was a two-time All-Star with the Marlins, as well as a World Series champion in 1997 and 2003. Griffin, a left-handed hitter, is also an outfielder and has shown significant power, belting 18 homers in 216 at-bats for Duke, showing upside comparable to his dad when he was selected in the 58th round of the 1987 Draft by the Royals. More >

Osiris Johnson, Marlins -- SS, Encinal (Calif.) HS (53rd overall)Johnson is the second cousin of three-time All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who played 17 big league seasons with the Phillies (15), Dodgers (1) and White Sox (1). Johnson had a big spring, making significant strides as a high school senior by hitting .535 with six home runs in 26 games for Encinal High School in California. The Marlins see Johnson as a potential everyday shortstop with some pop in his bat. More >

DAY 2 (TUESDAY)

Jonathan Bowlan, Royals -- RHP, Memphis (58th overall)Bowlan -- an ace for Memphis -- is the son of Mark Bowlan, also a Memphis ace before being drafted by the Cardinals in the 19th round in 1989. The elder Bowlan pitched in St. Louis' farm system for two seasons. The younger Bowlan is the second-highest Draft pick in Memphis history.

Alek Thomas, D-backs -- CF, Mount Carmel (Ill.) HS (63rd overall)Thomas is the son of White Sox director of strength and conditioning Allen Thomas. He was a three-sport athlete at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, and has drawn comparisons to Andrew Benintendi and Jacoby Ellsbury, though some consider him a more advanced baseball player at this stage in his career than they were.

Kody Clemens, Tigers -- 2B, Texas (79th overall)The youngest of Rocket's four sons, Kody came into his own during his junior season at Texas, rebounding from Tommy John surgery to capture Big 12 Player of the Year honors. The second baseman hit .344, knocked 21 homers and is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award given to the nation's best collegiate player. Clemens' older brother, Kacy, was drafted by the Blue Jays last year. More >

Tristan Pompey, Marlins -- OF, Kentucky (89th overall)Evaluators say the 21-year-old is more advanced physically than his older brother, Dalton, was before he went on to contribute to the Blue Jays at the Major League level. Pompey has shown ability to hit from both sides of the plate while still learning how to translate his quickness onto the diamond.

Jeremy Pena, Astros -- SS, Maine (102nd overall)The son of former Cardinals player Geronimo Pena, Jeremy Pena is seen as an extremely solid defender in the middle infield, with more questions about how his bat will translate at the big league level.

Richard Palacios Jr., Indians -- SS, Towson (103rd overall)Palacios has plenty of connections; his father, Richard Sr., played in the Tigers farm system, his uncle, Rey, logged three years in the Majors and his brother Josh is a 2016 draftee currently in Toronto's system. Palacios Jr. could be a potential table-setter for Cleveland with his batting eye and ability to make contact.

Aaron Ashby, Brewers -- LHP, Crowder College (125th overall)Ashby is following right in the footsteps of his uncle, Andy, who attended the same high school and junior college before becoming a two-time All-Star while pitching for five teams over 14 Major League seasons. This southpaw is known for his breaking ball and has turned heads with an off-the-charts 18.8 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio during his second season at Crowder.

Jayce Easley, Rangers -- SS, Sandra Day O'Connor (Ariz.) HS (149th overall) At 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, Easley carries a similar frame to his father, Damion, who logged 17 seasons in the Majors while playing every position except pitcher and catcher. Easley possesses good speed and has shown agility in the infield that helps him get to grounders and make throws on the run.

Kohl Franklin, Cubs -- RHP, Broken Arrow (Okla.) HS (188th overall)Franklin is still working his way back from a fractured foot, but the nephew of former Major League pitcher Ryan Franklin can reach 93 mph with his fastball with good feel for his secondary pitches.

J.J. Montgomery, Orioles -- RHP, Central Florida (205th overall)Montgomery is the younger brother of Christian Montgomery, whom the Mets drafted in the 11th round in 2011. Seen as a two-pitch power reliever, his strengths lie in the strikeout, which is evident after he whiffed 74 batters in 63 2/3 innings in 2018 for the Knights.

AJ Graffanino, Braves -- SS, Washington (232nd overall)Many believe the son of the longtime Major League infielder, Tony, profiles more as a second baseman. Graffanino is a switch-hitter with room to grow into his 6-foot-2 frame.

Blaze Alexander, D-backs -- SS, IMG Academy (Fla.) HS (339th overall) Alexander's father, Chuck, was a 15th-round pick of the Indians in 1988. A left-hander, he spent four seasons in Cleveland's farm system, reaching Class A Advanced Reno. Alexander's older brother, CJ, a third baseman, was also drafted Wednesday. The Braves selected him in Round 20 out of State College of Florida Manatee (Sarasota, Fla.).

George Bell Jr., Giants -- CF, Connors State College (376th overall)Bell is the son of the 1987 American League Most Valuable Player and former Blue Jays star. George Bell Sr. played 12 years in the big leagues with the Blue Jays (1981-90), Cubs ('91) and White Sox ('92-93), earning three All-Star nods. Bell Jr.'s brother and three of his uncles were also signed by MLB clubs.

Xavier Valentin, Rangers -- C, Leadership Christian Academy (569th overall)Valentin comes from a baseball family as the son of 10-year Major League veteran Javier Valentin, who was a catcher/first baseman for the Twins, Devil Rays and Reds from 1997-2008. Valentin's older brother, Jesmuel, an infielder, was a first-round pick of the Dodgers (51st overall) in 2012 and made his big league debut for the Phillies on April 29.

Parker Kelly, Cardinals -- RHP, Oregon (603rd overall)Kelly joins his older brother, Carson, in the Cardinals organization. Carson was selected by St. Louis out of high school in the second round in 2012.

CJ Alexander, Braves -- 3B, State College of Florida Manatee (Sarasota, Fla.) JC (592nd overall)Alexander joins his younger brother, Blaze, who was taken in the 11th round by the D-backs, as part of this year's Draft class. Their father, Chuck, was a 15th-round pick of the Indians in 1988 and spent four years with the organization.

Caleb Sampen, Dodgers -- RHP, Wright State University (614th overall)With the final pick in the 20th round, the Dodgers selected former Major League pitcher Bill Sampen's son, Caleb. The elder Sampen pitched in parts of five seasons with the Expos, Royals and Angels from 1990-94, going 25-21 with a 3.73 ERA through 182 games (14 starts).

Ryan Tapani, Nationals -- RHP, Creighton (641st overall)Tapani, an All-American at Creighton, followed in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who was a ninth-round pick of the Cubs in 1985. Kevin Tapani, also a right-hander, pitched in 13 Major League seasons with the Mets, Twins, Dodgers, White Sox and Cubs from 1989-2001.

Logan Browning, Red Sox -- LHP, Florida Southern College (730th overall)Browning is the son of longtime Reds southpaw, Tom Browning, who played 11 seasons with Cincinnati and one with Kansas City from 1984-95. The elder Browning was a National League All-Star in 1991 and pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers on Sept. 16, 1988.

Gunnar Halter, Indians -- RHP, Seminole State (Okla.) JC (793rd overall)Halter's father, Shane, was a utility player for the Royals, Mets, Tigers and Angels for eight seasons from 1997-2004.

Zach Scott, Mariners -- 2B, St. Leo University (958th overall)Scott has Major League ties. His father, Dick, is currently the Marlins' director of player development. He also served in the same role for the Mets (2013-15) before joining Terry Collins' staff as bench coach in 2016.

Mike Picollo, Mets -- RHP, Blue Valley North (KS) HS (980th overall)Picollo is the son of Royals vice president/assistant general manager of player personnel J.J. Picollo.

J.C. Correa, Astros -- RHP, Alvin Community College (1,002nd overall)The Astros doubled down on their investment in the Correa family by selecting J.C. Correa, younger brother of Carlos, Houston's All-Star shortstop.

Benito Santiago, Cardinals -- C, University of Tennessee (1,023rd overall)Santiago is the son of former MLB catcher Benito Santiago, who was the 1987 NL Rookie of the Year with the Padres, a five-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and the MVP of the 2002 NLCS for the Giants.

Logan Brown, Braves -- C, University of Southern Indiana (1,042nd overall)Brown's father, Kevin, spent 19 seasons as a right-handed starter in the Majors, being selected as an All-Star six-times and winning the 1997 World Series with the Marlins. The elder Brown finished his career with a 3.28 ERA, also pitching for the Rangers, Orioles, Padres, Dodgers and Yankees.

Cole Kreuter, Cardinals -- 3B, UC Irvine (1,083rd overall)Cole's father, Chad, had a 16-year Major League career as a catcher from 1988-2003, playing for the Rangers, Tigers, Mariners, White Sox, Angels, Royals and Dodgers. In four seasons at UC Irvine, Cole slashed .271/.336/.393 in 203 games.

Antonio Cruz, Astros -- OF, Episcopal (Texas) HS (1,122nd overall)Cruz is the son of former MLB outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. and the grandson of Astros star Jose Cruz, who hit 138 of his 165 career homers over 13 seasons with Houston from 1975-87. Jose Cruz Jr. had a 12-year Major League career, over which he hit .247/.337/.445 with 204 homers. He retired after one season with the Astros in 2008, during which he appeared in 38 games. He won a Gold Glove Award with the Giants in 2003.

Jacob Maton, Mariners -- RHP, Glenwood (Ill.) HS (1,168th overall)Maton's brother, Phil, is a right-hander for the Padres who is enjoying a strong season, having posted a 0.56 ERA in 15 relief appearances so far this season.